Ninth annual UNC Cleantech Summit to feature leaders in business, public sector for keynotes, panels and networking
March 5, 2023
The 2023 UNC Cleantech Summit is set to take place on Mar. 27 and 28 at UNC’s Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill, NC. The annual event is open to students, educators and members of the cleantech industry. The two-day summit will be the ninth such event co-hosted by the UNC Institute for the Environment and Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School since the inaugural summit in 2014.
The Southeast’s largest event of its kind, the Summit seeks to explore and innovate developments in environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient technology and highlights North Carolina’s role in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. This year’s event will include keynote speakers, panels, workshops, a career fair, the presentation of the Cleantech Pioneer Award and Cleantech Trailblazer Award, and more.
Leaders of businesses, the energy sector, finance and government will share their respective expertise in their keynote remarks throughout the event. Robert Blue, chair, president, and chief executive officer of Dominion Energy, will give the opening keynote address as a seasoned executive, former counselor to the Governor of Virginia Mark Warner and attorney at Hogan & Hartson. Elizabeth Curmi, a thematic analyst within Citi Global Insights will offer thought leadership on sustainability, sustainable finance and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) matters. Henry McKoy, the inaugural director of State and Community Energy Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy will discuss “financing the climate future: government style.” Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker, recently brought the company to a successful initial public offering (IPO) and brings decades of solar expertise and technology innovation to his remarks. A full list of keynote speakers, panelists and the agenda are available on the Cleantech Summit website.
This year’s topics include:
- Carbon Capture and Removal Strategies
- The Global Energy Transition
- Green Hydrogen and Energy Storage
- Building Foundations for Cleantech in the Mid-Atlantic Region
- Energy Policy-Smart Mobility and Electric Vehicles
- Nuclear Power and the Energy Transition
- Manufacturing and Supply Chains
- Bluetech and Ocean-related Solutions
- Green Finance: Investing in Our Future
- Agriculture’s Solutions to Climate Change
Dozens of panelists from universities, industry, government and other cleantech partners will attend and contribute to the discussion on the future of cleantech. This event also marks the return of the Mentor Match program, which connects students and professionals in the cleantech field, allowing them to network, create relationships and shape the next generation of cleantech professionals.
To register and purchase tickets for the 2023 UNC Cleantech Summit, visit the UNC Cleantech Website. For more information on the Summit, contact event organizers Greg Gangi, associate director for clean technology, ggangi@email.unc.edu or Kiersten Williams, public communications specialist, kwilliams@unc.edu.
Story by Matthew Ng
Matthew Ng is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Matthew is currently a senior pursuing a double major in journalism and political science. Outside of his work as a communications intern for the Institute for the Environment, he has experience in documentary storytelling and reporting on Chapel Hill local politics. After graduating in 2023, Matthew plans on attending graduate school.